Mine-switch



L. PETROFF.

MINE SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,4919

Patented Mar. 29, 1921 mmw w aTJ fi m6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS PETROFF, OF BURGETTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

MINESWITCH.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS Pn'rnorr, a citizen of Russia, residing at Burgettstown, county of Washington, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Mine-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has as its object the pro vision of means whereby the switches of narrowgage railroads, such as are used in large factories, mines and the like, may be operated from an advancing car without d1smounting or exertion of an attendant.

A further object is to provide means whereby a visible signal is displayed showing that the track ahead is in a clear condition, or the reverse.

These objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forminga material part of this disclosure, and in wh1ch-- Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a short section of the track and indicating the application of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is another transverse sectional. v1ew taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, straight track rails are indicated by the numeral 10 while the mate and switch points are designated by the numeral 11. Gver these rails operate a pair of wheels 12, these wheels supporting the body 13, through the medium of a tubular axle 14, connecting between the wheels, and through which extends a shaft 15, both the axle 14 and the rod 15 being separated into two parts by insulation at the center thereof as indicated in Fig. 1.

Fixed upon each of the extendmg ends of the shaft 15 are levers 16, one of which is provided with an actuating handle 17, having a detent 18, engageable in a toothed quadrant 19 secured upon the side of the car body.

Attached at the outer ends of the levers 16 are heads 20, having lateral projecting portions 21, in which, pivotally mounted on the pins 22, are wedge-like elements 23, having sharp angular points 24 at their front ends, these levers being pressed out, due to compression springs 25, extending between the inner surfaces of the levers and the corresponding faces of the blocks or heads 20.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1919.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Serial No. 313,071.

These levers are adapted to engage between recesses 26, formed at the points of the tongue and mate switch points 11 so that when thehandle is in a forward position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the heads are down, so as to make contact with theupper surface of the head of the rail, these wedge-like elements are forced between the switch points and rails, moving the points outward.

In order to indicate the condition of the tracks in advance, current is taken from the rails which are electrified by the intermediary of conductors 35 embedded in grooves of the rail head and by means of which the current is transmitted to plates 28 when the heads 20 are lowered upon the rails, which plates, formed with stems 29, are carried in insulated bushings 30 set in the heads 20, the upper end of the stems being screw-threaded; and attached by nuts 31 are electrical conductors 32 adapted to energize lamps 33 carried in advance of the car, the current first passing through pairs of resistances 34 so as to avoid damaging the lamp filaments.

As the current passes from one rail to the other, it will obviously pass over the bridge caused by the conductor 32, when the current is on, lighting the lamp 33 and conversely, when no light is shown it is understood that the rails in advance are not in condition to be entered upon.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a device controlled by the operator is presented whereby the switchand mate points of a railway track may be moved, and that signals are shown indicating the condition of the track upon which the car is about to advance.

I claim 1. In a railway switching device, the combination with a straight track, and a branch track leading therefrom, said branch track having switch and mate points, of a pair of wheels movable over said rails, a hollow axle connected between said wheels, a shaft extending through said axle, a pair of levers secured upon the extending ends of said shaft, an operating lever handle whereby said levers are actuated in unison, a toothed quadrant, a detent carried by said operating handle engageable in said quadrant, heads formed upon the ends of said levers, said heads being raised and lowered by said operating handle, wedge elements pivoted in said heads adapted to make contact with said straight rails, means for forcing said wedge elements into operative positions, whereby the points thereof engage between the two straight rails and the points of said tongue and mate points, and whereby said points are moved outwardly from the straight rails and said car permitted to proceed thereon.

2. In a railway switching device, the combination with a straight track, and abranch track leading therefrom, said branch track having switch and mate points, ofa pair of wheels movable over said rails, a hollow axle connected between said wheels, a shaft extending through said axle, a pair of levers secured upon the extending ends of said shaft, an operating lever handle whereby said levers are actuated in unison, a toothed quadrant, a detent carried by said operating handle engageable in said quadrant, heads formed upon the ends of said lever, said heads being raised and lowered by said operating handle, wedge elements pivoted in said heads adapted to make contact with said straight rails, means for forcing said wedge elements into operative positions, whereby the points thereof engage between the two straight rails and the points of said tongue and mate points, electrical connections carried by said heads engagcable with said rail when said heads are in their rail engaging position, and a light carried by said car adapted to be lighted when current is on said rails.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LOUIS PETROFF. 

